Coupling for electric light fixtures



A. l. SC'HWINGER.

COUPLING FOR ELECTRIC FIXTURES. APPLICATION FILED JAN.4.1917.

.` Patented NOV. 2, 1920 emr-ED vsrrmzes- PATENT cnn-rcaA ABRAHAM' I. 'SCHWINGER .OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 LOUIS W. WIPPERMAN, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

COUPLING FOB ELECTRIC-LIGHT FIXTRES. n

Specification of Letters Patent. A Patented NOV'. 2, 1920.

Appncaionmea January 4, i917. serial Nn. 140,646.

' To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I ABRAHAM I. SCHWIN- GER a citizen of the nited States, residing atufi'alo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Couplings for Electric- Light F ixtures7 of which the following is 'a specification. y w

This` invention relates to a mounting or coupling for electric light fixtures and more particularly to a coupling ofthis character which is designed to connect the tubular parts of electric light fixtures with the bases, or other supports upon which the same are mounted.

`In some' forms devices of this character as heretofore constructed it has been necessary to complete the wirin connection between -the main leads in the uilding and the wires' ofthe fixture after the latter was mounted on the wall, ceilingor other support which condition often. .presented difficulties requiring an unusual amount of l .labor and time in effecting such connections Asuch work.

" upon which the same is mounted, w ich disconnecting the fixture an and'thereby'unduly increased the cost of permits of quickly and easilI connecting and permits of conveniently and 'rigidly completing the connection between the main electric lead or supply wires and the wires of the fixture after the' latter and supporting base have been assembled. y i

In the accompanying drawings: Figuren4 is a sectional elevation of one form of my.

invention organized for supporting an electric light fixture in the form ofa bracket on a wooden wall or partition. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view of the same. Fig` 3 is a perspective View of one member of the coupling and partv of the bracket con nected therewith. Fi 4 is a similar view`- of another member o the coupling and the supporting base associated therewith.

incase the light fixture is to be`mounted on "a metallic pipe or'other metal part of thel base, and which Fig. y 5 is a sectional elevation showing another adaptation of my'invention suitable for use building, this view also `showing my invention used in connection with a chandelier which is suspended from the ceiling of'a building. Figs. 6 and 7 `are views similar to-F ig. 5 but showing modified forms of my invention for use in connection with an insulatin joint which is adapted to vbe interose between the light fixture and a metali'c supporting pipe. 1

Similar characters of."V reference indicate' corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to. Figs. 1-4, l represents an upright wall or partition which is'made of woo o which the electric light fixture is to be mounted. On the front or face side of this wall or partition is secured a base which is constructed of metal and which in the form here shown comprises lan annular member" `convenience in connecting the same with the wires 6 of the electric light fixture. The fixture shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is constructed 4in the form of a bracket, arm or Iside' light and as there shown comprises a horizontal pipevor conduit 7 which contains the fixture wires 6, `and a socket 8 arranged at the outer end of the pipe 7 and supporting the lamp 9 which is electrically connecte in circuit with the said fixture wires.

My improved coupler is so designed that or similar insulating material upon.

it permits of readilyconnectin and disoonnecting the fixture pipe 7 an the base so that the Wiring of the fixture can be conveniently accomplished while thev same is removed from the base and the connection between the main vsupply wires 'and the fixture wires can be effected easily and properly after, the fixture has been nounted on the base. In the particular organization of my improvementwhich is shown in Figs.

1-4.- the same comprises a female or socket member 10 which is connected with the inner ends of the supporting arms of the base and "preferably formed integrally therewith so as to be separated or arranged-at a dis- A tance fromrthe `wall upon which the base is mounted. This socket member is provided with a socket 11 extending axially through the socket member from the front to the rear side thereof and also laterally to the upper side of the socket member, as shown in Fig. 4;.V rlhe bore of this socket is made of tapering or dove tail form, the walls of the same converging forwardly or outwardly, as shown in Fig. 2. A complementary male coupling member 12 is mounted on the inner end of the fixture pipe preferably by'engaging the externally screw threaded rear end of this pipe lwith an internally threaded opening 13 in this male coupling member. rl`he periphery of this male member is preferably provided with an annular `knurled surfacelt for 'convenience in turning the same by means of a suitable tool.v At

4its rear or inner end the male coupling member is provided with a hollow coupling shank 15 which has alpassageway 16 formed therein leading lengthwise from the front to the rear end of the same so as lto communicate with the fixture conduit and 'also opening laterally tothe upper side of this shanlnas best shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. "llhe external surface of this coupling shank is made of substantially dovetail or wedge-shaped form the opposite outer sides of this shank-tapering forwardly or outwardly at the same angle as thewa-lls ofthe dove-tail socket on the base. rfhe dove-tail shank of the male coupling memberl is slipped downwardly into the dove-tail socket ofthe female coupling member'and owing to the wedging action produced by the coperating inclined suri faces of these partsa rearwardlyfacing shoulder 17 formed on the male 'coupling member adjacent tothe small front end of the shank and the enlarged part of this member immediately in front of the shank is drawn against the front or outer Vside of the femalev coupling member, so that these two coupling members are firmly held in place relatively to each other.. The male and female coupling members are securely held titi in thisl assembled position by omeans of a clamping or set screw 18 which engages with a threaded opening in the female coupling member and preferably arranged at such an angle that this clamping screw and the coupling shank converge downwardly, whereby upon tightening the screw the same will 4not only bear against theadjacent surface of the shankbutalso force the same downwardly so -that vthis shank is reliably held in the socket without liability of these parts becomin detached.

After the li mounted on the base the main lead or supply wires and the fixture wires may be connected withv each other and then protected by a tape covering in the usual manner, this splicing of the wires' being effected while the ance ofthe fixture.

ght fixtureV hasl been thus nearest in the shank which also opens laterally, this position of the wires being represented in Fig. l. After the wires have been thus connected the same may be doubled or folded more or less so as to make them lie compactly or close to the base as is usual in electrical work of this character. i

As a rule the conduit or pipe of an electric fixture of` this character is inclosed by a tubular casing 19 of finishing material such as brass so as to improve the appearrl`he diameter of such tubular casing varies according to the quality of the fixture desired or the balanced appearance which it is necessary to giveY the same in order to harmonizel the dimensions of the several. parts of the fixture. ln or der therefore to permit of using tubular casings of dierent Adiameters in connection with my improved coupling the front or outer end of the male coupling member is provided' with a plurality of `annular`shoul ders, two shoulders 20, 21 being shown in the example illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 which shoulders are arranged lengthwise out of line with each other so that this end of the male coupling has a step-shaped appearance. The tubular casing shown in Fig.

1 engages at its rear end with the shoulder 20 of large diameter on the male coupling member while its front end enga es'with a shoulder 22 on the front part of t Ve fixture.`

lf a tubularl casing of smallerdiameter is to be used the rear end of the same may be engaged with the annular shoulder 21 of smaller diameterion the male coupling member and its front end may be enga ed with the shoulder 22 of the fixture. y this means my improved coupling may be used is usually of "bell-shaped form, as shown in Fig. 1, and bears with its large rear end against the wall vupon which the fixture is mounted while its small front end is secured to the adjacent part of the tubular casing by means of a set screw 24,01' other suitable means.' Y

`with fixtures requiring tubular casings. of

The construction just described. is suitable j for use in mounting electric light xtures in buildings in which the vwallsor partitions are made of wood inasmuch' as the last mentioned material is of an insulating character and no particular disadvantageous results are liable to occur such as short circuiting of electric currents. When, however, the fixture is to be mounted in a building in which the walls, partitions or ceilings are made partly or wholly of metal or the iixture itself is intended to be mounted on a metal pipe such as a gas pipe, as is commonly practised when electric fixtures are. substituted for gas fixtures, then the danger of short circuiting is avoided by so organizing my improved coupling that the same may be used in connection with an insulating joint between the metallic support and the electric light fixture which is mounted on the same. Such an installation is shown` in Fig.` 5 for use in supporting a chandelier electric light fixture from the lower end of a metallic'pipe 25 which projects downwardly through the ceiling 2G of a building. Although the insulating joint between the light fixture and the metal supporting pipe may 'be variously constructed that shown in F ig. 5 comprises an upper or rear metal section 27 having an internally threaded socket 29 whereby the same is secured to the lower end of the metal pipe 25, a front or outer metal section 28 `pipe 36.

which is adapted to support my improved coupling, a body 30 of insulating material interposed between said inner and outer metal joint sections, and ametal shell 31 inelosing said insulating body and confining the same in place relative to the metal joint sections. In this instance the female member 32 is formed integrally on the under or front side of the lower insulating' joint section and is provided with a longitudinally and laterally extending dove-ta1led socket 33 which receives a correspondingly shaped shank 34 on the upper part'of a male coupling member 35. The latter is secured to the upper end of the chandelier or fixture The chandelier wires 37 are arranged within this pipe and the up er 'ends of the same extend lengthwise and aterally through the longitudinal and laterally open;

ing passage 38 in the shank 34 and are adapted to be connected with the main supply or lead wires 39 on one side of the insulating joint and the detachable fixture.

coupling. In this constrution the fixture pipe is also inclosed by a tubular casing 40 and the fittings between the fixture and the supporting pipe 25 are inclosed by means of the canopy 41.

Instead of forming the socket member of the fixture coupling integrally with the lower metallic section of the insulating joint, as shown in F ig. 5, this socket member may be made separate from the joint section and detachably connected therewith. As shown in Fig. 6 this is accomplished by providing the socket member 42 on its rear or upper side with an externally screw threaded boss 43 which engages withy an internally screw threaded socket 44 in the front side of the lower or .front metallic section 45 of the in,- sulating joint. If desired, this manner of connecting these parts may be reversed, that is to say, the lower metallic section 46 of the insulating joint may be provided with an externally screw threaded boss 47 which enga es with an internally screw threaded soc et 48 in the upper side of the female member 49 of the fixture coupling, as shown in Fig. 7.

In all of the several constructions of my invention shownand described Vit is possible to wire the fixture while the same is still unmounted andfthen quickly mount the same on its base and complete the connection between .the wires ofthe` fixture and the main electric supply wires with ease and convenience and much more rapidly than has been possible heretofore, thereby effecting a which has its sides converging forwardly.

and engaging with said socket an external stop shoulder at the front end of said U-shaped' bearin face which engages with the front side o said socketv member, said shoulder and bearing face together forming an external groove which receives the inner rparts of the socket member and a locking screw arranged on said socket and ada ted to engage with' one of the outer inclmed sides of said U-shaped bearing face.

ABRAHAM I..SCHWINGER. 

